untouchable
pronunciation
How to pronounce untouchable in British English:
UK [ʌnˈtʌtʃəbl]
How to pronounce untouchable in American English:
US [ʌnˈtʌtʃəbəl]
-
- Noun:
- belongs to lowest social and ritual class in India
-
- Adjective:
- beyond the reach of criticism or attack or impeachment
- impossible to assail
- forbidden to the touch
- defiling to the touch; especially used in traditional Hindu belief of the lowest caste or castes
- not capable of being obtained
Word Origin
- untouchable (adj.)
- 1560s, "immaterial," from un- (1) "not" + touchable (see touch (v.)). Meaning "that legally cannot be interfered with" is recorded from 1734. Meaning "too loathsome or defiling to be touched" is recorded from 1873. The noun, in reference to a hereditary low caste of India, is attested from 1909; the term and the restrictions were made illegal in India in 1947.
Example
- 1. You got yourself the untouchable status .
- 2. Perhaps parliamentary backing could come from the 21 national mps controlled by mayawati , the dalit ( untouchable ) leader from uttar pradesh .
- 3. He retells the story of a brahmin in colonial india who informed a benthamite official : " I am ten times as capable of happiness as that untouchable over there . "
- 4. Tycoons , especially billionaires like the kwoks , are supposed to be untouchable .
- 5. You untouchable people always lie .